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The short answer: dogs show stress with their bodies long before they bark, growl or snap. The earliest signs are small and quick: licking the lips or nose, yawning when not tired, turning the head away, showing the whites of the eyes (whale eye), lifting a front paw, and ears pulled back. If the stress continues, you see panting with no heat to explain it, pacing, trembling, sudden shedding, a low or tucked tail and avoidance. At the top of the ladder come freezing, a hard stare, growling and snapping. The single most useful thing you can do is notice the bottom rungs and add distance or change the situation then — before your dog has to climb higher. This page lays out the full ladder, how to tell a stress signal from the ordinary version, and — because we make hemp for dogs — where it does and does not fit.
Written by Marc Brannigan, Co-Founder & CEO of HempMy Pet. Last updated 11 November 2026.
The Stress Ladder
Dogs escalate in steps. Read from the bottom up; act at the lowest rung you see.
| Level | What you see | What your dog is saying | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Low (easy to miss) |
Lip or nose licking with no food around, yawning when not tired, turning the head or body away, blinking, sniffing the ground suddenly, a lifted front paw, whale eye, ears slightly back | “I'm uncomfortable. Please give me a moment.” | Pause. Give space, stop whatever you are doing to them, let them move away. |
| Middle | Panting with no heat or exercise, pacing, trembling, sudden heavy shedding, sweaty paw prints, drooling, tail low, ears flat, crouching, hiding, refusing food or treats | “This is too much.” | Remove your dog from the situation or the trigger from your dog. Don't ask for obedience. |
| High | Freezing or going stiff, hard stare, closed tight mouth, raised hackles, lip curl, growling | “Stop now, or I will make you stop.” | Back off calmly and give a clear exit. Never punish a growl — it is a warning, and dogs punished for warning stop warning. |
| Highest | Snapping, lunging, biting | “I tried everything else.” | Safety first. Then a vet and a qualified behaviour professional. |
The ladder idea is used widely by veterinary behaviour teams; the ASPCA's canine body language guide describes the same early signs, and notes that yawning and lip licking matter most when paired with a tight mouth and averted gaze.
A dog that bites “out of nowhere” almost always climbed the ladder first. Nobody was reading it.
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Stress Signal or Just Normal?
Most stress signals are ordinary behaviours in the wrong context. Context is the tell.
| Behaviour | Probably normal when… | Probably stress when… |
|---|---|---|
| Yawning | Waking up, settling down at night | At the vet, being hugged, meeting a new dog — often a long, tense yawn with a squeak. See why dogs yawn. |
| Lip licking | Food nearby, after eating or drinking | A quick tongue flick with no food, as someone leans over them |
| Panting | Heat, exercise, excitement | Cool room, resting dog, ears back. See why dogs pant. |
| Shaking off | After a swim or bath | A full-body shake when dry, right after a tense moment — the dog is resetting |
| Shedding | Spring and autumn coat change | Hair coming out in handfuls at the vet or in the car |
| Scratching | An actual itch | A quick scratch in the middle of a training session or an introduction |
| Sniffing the ground | Exploring on a walk | Suddenly fascinated by the floor as another dog approaches |
The Signals Owners Miss Most
- Whale eye. The head is turned away but the eyes stay on the thing that worries them, so you see the whites in the corners. Common when a dog is being hugged or approached while eating.
- The paw lift. One front paw raised, body still. Often uncertainty, not a request to shake.
- Turning away. Head or whole body turned sideways. It is a polite “no thanks” that dogs use with each other.
- Freezing. A dog that suddenly goes still while being handled is close to the top of the ladder.
- Refusing a treat they normally love. A stressed dog often can't eat. It is a useful gauge of how much is too much.
- Too much appeasement. Rolling over, licking faces repeatedly, crouching — not always happiness.
What Causes Ongoing Stress
One-off stress at the vet is normal. A dog that shows middle-ladder signs most days needs the cause found. Common ones: pain (especially in older dogs — see arthritis in dogs), noise sensitivity, separation problems (see separation anxiety), an unpredictable routine, conflict with another pet, too little exercise or mental work, a recent move or new family member, and — in senior dogs — failing sight, hearing or cognitive change.
What to Do About It
- In the moment: add distance, stop what you are doing, give a way out, and let your dog sniff or chew to settle. Our 60-second reset walks through it.
- Keep a log for a week: when the signs appear, what happened just before, and what ended it. Patterns jump out fast.
- Reduce the triggers you can and make the rest predictable.
- Build confidence with short, positive training sessions, sniff walks and a safe den.
- See your vet for frequent or escalating stress, any new stress in an older dog, and before adding any medication or supplement. A veterinary behaviourist is the right next step for growling, snapping or panic.
Where Hemp Fits — and Where It Doesn't
We make hemp for dogs. Here is an honest map of where it belongs in a stress plan.
In a randomised, placebo-controlled study, a single dose of CBD given about two hours before a car ride or being left alone reduced several stress measures, including cortisol and whining. A separate fireworks study at a lower dose found no effect. So it is one tool for known stressors, given ahead of time.
If sore joints are behind your older dog's stress, joint comfort is where the canine hemp evidence is strongest — five osteoarthritis trials, four positive, including our own 90-day university study.
High-ladder behaviour needs a vet and a behaviour professional, and sometimes prescription medication. A supplement is not a substitute, and masking warning signals can make a dog more dangerous, not less.
If you use it: try it on a quiet day first, give it ahead of the stressful event, and check the serving guide. The doses in the positive study were well above a typical treat serving, so ask your vet what makes sense for your dog. If your dog takes any medication, read what the research shows about combining them.
For predictable stressful days, this is where owners start
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Side effects are mostly mild — drowsiness, loose stool, and a liver-enzyme change seen in three of the five published trials. Every published finding is in hemp and CBD side effects in dogs.
When to See the Vet
- Stress signs most days, or getting more frequent
- New stress, irritability or hiding in an older dog
- Growling, snapping or biting
- Panic: escape attempts, self-injury, losing bladder or bowel control
- Sudden fear or strange behaviour with wobbliness, dilated pupils or drooling — that can be a toxin, and is urgent
Frequently Asked Questions
What are 7 critical signs that a dog is stressed?
Seven of the most reliable are: lip or nose licking with no food around, yawning when not tired, whale eye (the whites of the eyes showing), ears pulled back, panting when it isn't hot, pacing or being unable to settle, and a low or tucked tail. Freezing, refusing treats and growling mean the stress is high. Context matters — the same behaviours can be normal in a different situation.
What is the 3-3-3 rule for dog anxiety?
It is a rule of thumb for newly adopted dogs: about three days to decompress, three weeks to learn the routine, and three months to feel at home. Expect more stress signals in that window — hiding, not eating, pacing — and keep life quiet and predictable. It is a guide for adjustment, not a treatment for anxiety.
How do you treat stress in dogs?
Find and reduce the cause, make life predictable, give your dog safe places and choices, build confidence with reward-based training and sniff walks, and handle stressful moments with distance rather than correction. See your vet for frequent or escalating stress, to rule out pain, and to discuss medication or supplements. A veterinary behaviourist helps with growling, snapping and panic.
Why is my dog acting weird and scared all of a sudden?
Sudden fear can follow a frightening event — a storm, fireworks, a fall — or come from pain, failing sight or hearing, or cognitive change in an older dog. If it comes with wobbliness, dilated pupils, drooling, tremors or vomiting, treat it as a possible poisoning (including cannabis edibles) and go to a vet now. Otherwise, book a vet visit soon to rule out a medical cause.
Can stress make a dog sick?
Yes. Stress can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of appetite, heavy shedding, excessive licking and, in the long run, behaviour problems. Ongoing stress is a welfare issue in its own right and worth treating, not just tolerating.
Do dogs yawn when stressed?
Yes. Yawning is one of the most common early stress signals. A stress yawn tends to come in an uncomfortable moment — at the vet, during a hug, when meeting someone new — and is often longer and tenser than a sleepy yawn, sometimes with a little squeak.
Should I punish my dog for growling?
No. A growl is a warning that your dog is uncomfortable. Punishing it doesn't remove the discomfort; it removes the warning, which can lead to bites that seem to come from nowhere. Back off, give space, and work out what caused it.
Does CBD help stressed dogs?
It may help some dogs in predictable situations when given ahead of time: a placebo-controlled study found a single dose two hours before car travel or being left alone reduced several stress measures. A fireworks study at a lower dose found no effect. It is one tool alongside training and environmental changes, not a replacement for them or for veterinary care.
The Short Version
Learn the bottom of the ladder: lip licking, yawning, turning away, whale eye, a lifted paw, ears back. Act there — give space and change the situation — and your dog never needs to climb to growling. Read behaviours in context, keep a short log, and look for causes, especially pain in older dogs.
Hemp can be part of a plan for predictable stress, given ahead of time, and has its strongest evidence where pain is driving it. It is never a fix for growling, snapping or panic.
Shop Calming SupportThe 60-Second Reset →
How to Calm a Dog Down · Fireworks · Separation Anxiety · Why Dogs Yawn · What to Give for Anxiety
Marc co-founded HempMy Pet in 2016 with his business partner Natalie Mondine, the company's COO. HempMy Pet breeds its own hemp genetics, grows them on its own Colorado farm, and formulates every batch in-house under human-grade standards — seed to sale, nothing sourced overseas. Every batch is third-party tested and the certificates of analysis are published. More about us.
HempMy Pet ran its own 90-day study of 37 dogs with chronic joint discomfort. Of the 32 that completed it, 30 (93%) showed a benefit, and 94% of owners reported their dog's quality of life had improved. It was overseen by Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, MS of the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, with Lori Kogan, Ph.D. and Peter W. Hellyer, DVM of Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and published in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. Read the methodology.
Why Dr. Downing: in 2005 she became only the third veterinarian in the world credentialed as a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. She founded the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, is a Diplomate of the ACVSMR, a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and was the AVMA's 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year. Read the published paper (PDF).
This article is general information for dog owners, not veterinary advice. It is reviewed and updated as new peer-reviewed evidence is published, and where the evidence is thin or negative we say so.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your dog is unwell, contact your veterinarian.
